Most electrical faults can wait for a scheduled appointment, but a small number genuinely can’t — and knowing the difference matters, both for safety and for your bank balance, since a call-out at 11pm naturally costs more than one booked during business hours. Here’s how to tell a real electrical emergency from something that can safely wait until morning.
Situations That Are Genuine Emergencies
- A burning smell from a power point, switch or the switchboard
- Visible sparking or scorch marks around a switch, power point or appliance
- A safety switch (RCD) that trips repeatedly and won’t reset, cutting power to part or all of the house
- Exposed wiring, especially after storm damage or a falling tree branch
- A downed power line on or near your property — this one is a Energex/Ergon emergency, not an electrician callout; stay well clear and call 13 16 70
- Total loss of power confirmed as internal to your property (neighbours still have power)
Any of these point to a fault that’s actively unsafe, not just inconvenient, and are worth an after-hours call.
Situations That Usually Aren’t Emergencies
- A single power point or light not working, with everything else fine
- A safety switch that tripped once and reset normally when you flipped it back
- Flickering LED downlights (often a dimmer or driver compatibility issue, not a safety issue)
- A power outage affecting the whole street — that’s an Energex network issue, not a house fault
These are worth booking in during normal hours rather than paying an emergency rate.
What to Do While You Wait
If you suspect a serious fault, switch off the main breaker or the circuit involved if you can safely identify it, avoid touching the affected switch or point, and keep the area clear. Never touch a switchboard that’s smoking, sparking or visibly damaged — wait for a licensed electrician.
What an After-Hours Callout Involves
An emergency callout typically starts with isolating the fault to make the property safe, then diagnosing the cause — a faulty appliance, damaged wiring, a failing safety switch, or a switchboard component reaching the end of its life. In many cases the immediate fault can be made safe on the night, with any larger repair (like a switchboard upgrade) scheduled as a follow-up job during business hours once parts are sourced.
Why Older Switchboards Fail More Often
A lot of emergency calls trace back to ageing switchboards — ceramic fuses instead of modern circuit breakers, no safety switch at all, or a board that’s simply undersized for a modern home’s electrical load. If this is the second or third fault call on the same switchboard, an upgrade is usually the more cost-effective fix long-term rather than repeated emergency visits.
24/7 Emergency Electrical Response, Brisbane and Moreton Bay
Integrated Trade Services provides licensed emergency electrical response across Brisbane and Moreton Bay. If you’re facing a genuine electrical emergency, contact us or call 0400 775 002. For non-urgent electrical work, see our full electrical services in Brisbane.
Related guides
- Switchboard upgrades in Brisbane: costs & warning signs
- Do I need a safety switch in Queensland?
- Why your circuit breakers keep tripping
Need a licensed Brisbane electrician? See our electrical services or get in touch for a quote.